QUILTsocial | Issue 01 Fall 2014 Premiere Issue

Quilting the
On-the-
Go
Place-mat
Now that the placemat is all sewn together it’s time to do some
quilting. Some people love the piecing process of a quilt
while others prefer the quilting stage. I enjoy the whole process
and love to see how the piece changes as each step is completed.
I thought about how to quilt the place-mat and decided to keep
it nice and simple with straight lines using the IDT system which
is the built-in walking foot on the Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.2. I
acquired an open toe decorative foot for the machine which will
make it much easier to see my stitching lines and hopefully keep
me going in a straight line. This foot is great for applique and
decorative stitching since it has a large open area in which to see
your work and where you’re stitching. Definitely one of my favorite
feet and a must-have foot with any machine I use.
Sandwiching the Layers for Quilting
The Layers
It isn’t a real sandwich but in quilting it’s called a sandwich of
layers. Sandwich is kind of appropriate though considering this
project is made specifically for picnics and food events.
The layers include the quilt top, or place-mat top in this case, batting
and the backing. I am using a cotton batting which is nice
and thin and will lay flat when quilted. That will make it easier for a
plate to sit on the place-mat. Both the backing and batting need
to be at least an inch larger all the way around than the quilt top
for a small project like this and 2 inches larger all the way around
for a large project. This is just in case there is any movement of the
layers while quilting.
Basting Methods
To prevent movement of these layers when quilting it’s a good
idea to baste them together. I prefer to baste with curved safety
pins made specifically for this purpose and I usually place them
about a fist width apart. Yes, I use a lot of pins and I have a lot of
pins. The other methods that can be used are to spray baste with
a product such as 505 Spray Basting Glue or to hand baste with
thread, which I find is very time consuming.
Note how close together the safety pins are in the photo below.
Marking the Quilting Lines
Chalk Lines
I decided that I’d use lines 1½ inch apart on the quilt top. This will
hold everything in place nicely. There are many ways to mark the
lines on a quilt. One of my favourite marking tools is the Chaco
Liner from Clover. It’s easy to use, easy to see on the fabric and
easy to remove after the quilting is done. Because it’s chalk, it usually
disappears with the stitching.
Remember to always start quilting in the center of the quilt as this
will allow for any movement of fabric to go out towards the edges
and not create bunches in the middle. If it’s basted well there
should be very little movement of the fabric when quilting.
Layers basted with curved safety pins.
Using the guide to mark the quilting lines.
Chalk lines mark where the quilting will be.
Q
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